BMW M3 vs M4 – which is best?

Cast an eye further back and you'll spot the biggest difference between these two cars – the M3's sensible saloon (or estate) bodywork, and the M4's elongated, dramatic coupe profile.

We'll pit the BMW M3 against the BMW M4 here to help you pick your favourite. Once you're done, check out the huge savings on nearly new and used BMW cars for sale at Motorpoint.

BMW M3 vs M4 compared

Styling and design

As standard-bearers for BMW's high-performance cars, both cars feature the brand's traditional styling cues. You can't miss the 'kidney' grilles on either the M3 or M4 as they're now massive snouts that stretch the full height of the bumper. They certainly look purposeful and hint at the huge firepower on-board, but they're a divisive feature and instantly mark these cars out over the more pedestrian-looking M340i and M440i.

You'll also spot details like the flared wheelarches and fender vents that lift the M3 and M4 above the rest of the lineup. In person, both cars look wide, low and poised, leaving no doubt about their high-performance potential.

As you'd expect, the biggest difference can be seen obviously from the side. The M3 is available in four-door-saloon and five-door-estate bodystyles, just like the standard 3 Series. This G80 generation is actually the first M3 to offer an estate bodystyle, after BMW received overwhelmingly positive feedback to an April Fools' teaser.

Meanwhile, the M4 is available either as a two-door coupe or convertible. Unlike the standard 4 Series, there's no M4 version of the five-door 4 Series Gran Coupe. There's no denying the extra visual impact of the M4, appearing even longer and lower than the M3. Track-day regulars will be delighted to hear the M4 shaves a substantial 5kg off the M3's kerb weight.

Interior and practicality

There's very little to split the two cars when looking at the dashboard. The single-unit infotainment system that sweeps into the driver's digital dials is exactly the same, as is the steering wheel and centre console. Most models will have been specced in a conservative black colour scheme, but more exciting tan, red or white upholstery schemes are optionally available.

Small differences do start to emerge as you look to the doors, which are longer on the M4 to allow rear-seat passengers to clamber into the back.

Of course, the biggest differences are found behind the front seats. In the M3, you get a reasonably sized second row, with their own set of passenger doors. Even with a very tall adult sat up front, you'll still be able to seat an average-sized adult behind them with a little room to spare. Despite its obvious shortcomings as a two-door coupe, the M4's rear seats are fairly big for this class, with just enough space for our average-sized adult, though they might have to stoop to clear the M4's lower roofline.

Boot space in the M3 saloon is a useful 480 litres, while the M3 Touring estate lifts this to an even 500, with additional space above the parcel shelf for taller cargo. In this context, the M4's 445-litre boot is still pretty good, and should be enough for as many passengers as the car can hold.

Size and dimensions

By most meaningful measures, the M3 and M4 are the same size. That makes sense considering they're two different bodystyles but built on the same platform. Both cars measure around 1.9 metres wide, which is more than 70mm wider than the standard BMWs they're based on, and you can sense that on tight British country lanes.

Engines and performance

Considering these two cars use the same platform with almost no weight difference, and are powered by the same 'S58' turbo six-cylinder petrol engine, performance between the two is virtually identical. Both use BMW's xDrive all-wheel drive to send their mighty engine power to all four wheels, resulting in the same violent 3.5-second 0-62mph time. The electronically limited 155mph top speed is the same for both, though we wonder if the lower, more curved M4 might go a touch faster if the limits were removed.

Like a lot of high-performance cars, the engine totally dominates the experience. Even at low engine speeds when the turbo isn't contributing to the chorus, you get a sense of big displacement with lots of lovely torque to get the car up to speed without breaking a sweat.

Naturally, it won't be long before you start to lean harder on the pedal and the S58 responds with a tidal wave of power that never seems to stop building. It doesn't matter whether you wring every last rpm out of the engine or short shift to keep it in its muscular mid-range, every time you mash the gas in an M3 or M4 is a thrilling experience.

Driving

It's not just the engine that gets beefed up in these M cars. So does the chassis and suspension, giving them simply enormous levels of real-world grip. In the past, M3s and M4s were famed for their tail-happy antics, but these latest all-wheel-drive versions feel much more tied down. Handily, you can still set them to be totally rear-wheel drive if you like using the car setup page – though you should budget for lots of replacement rear tyres!

We recently had the opportunity to try out both the M3 and M4 on track at BMW's M Driving Experience. Both cars have terrifyingly high performance ceilings that we couldn't get anywhere near. Only in the hands of our trained instructors did the cars get anywhere close to their limits, revealing a slight tendency to push into gentle understeer if you enter a corner too fast. This gives you an advanced warning that armfuls of smokey oversteer are just a prod of the pedal away.

In practice, you'll never really get close to what these cars are capable of, but you should still have an adrenaline-pumping experience driving them on the road. Endless grip and traction, along with that addictive engine power, means you'll be taking nearly every opportunity to launch yourself up any slip road.

Value and reliability

Traditionally, the more desirable coupe version of a performance car would cost more than the more sensible car on which it's based. That's not the case with the M3 and M4.

Looking through a range of new, in-stock vehicles and nearly new examples, we can see that the M4 is pretty much the same price as the M3, if not fractionally more affordable on average. That could be because most buyers in this segment prefer the M3's extra helping of practicality over the M4's more dramatic bodywork. Either way, it makes the M4 seem slightly better value by comparison.

BMW's reliability scores have been reasonably strong lately so you should expect many years of motoring with regular servicing. Bear in mind, however, that both the M3 and M4 are highly strung performance cars, so they might be subject to accelerated wear and tear if they're used for lots of on-track driving.

Which is best?

The answer here really depends on your use case. Many drivers might need to choose the M3 or M3 Touring estate if they have a family to carry around and need one car that does everything for them. And, considering there's basically no difference in the two car's performance, there's no penalty for picking the more sensible of the two.

However, by the same measure, that means there's almost no financial penalty for choosing the M4, with its more desirable image and dramatic coupe looks. As a result, if you can live with the smaller space, the M4 might feel like the more exciting choice.

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